Because the giant dragon had been startled and badly injured, Annie, Schierke, and Guts had no choice but to change their original plan to return immediately. They were forced to stay at Godot's house for two whole days.
During those two days at Godot's house, Schierke had also inscribed a magic circle over the brand on Casca's chest to mask its aura. And with a resentful giant dragon lying outside in the courtyard to keep watch, no thoughtless creatures dared come and bother them. The group had, more or less, enjoyed two easy and pleasant days.
And so!
On the morning of the third day, the big lizard had finally recovered enough to carry four new passengers—Godot, Elektra, Rickert, and Casca, who was brimming with curiosity and excitement and seemed even more like a little girl than Elektra—and fly toward the City of Holy Light.
"Whoa!"
"We really are riding a dragon!"
"This is amazing!"
"Guts!"
"So does that mean you're a dragon knight now?!"
Lying on the dragon's broad back, which was spacious enough to rival the courtyard at her old home, Elektra ran her hands over its beautiful, glossy black scales, tough as steel. She felt the muscles in its back shift with every breath and heard the wind howl past her ears. After flying for the first time and hollering excitedly along with Casca for a while, she turned to Guts, who was sitting cross-legged beside Godot and their luggage, and asked him.
"Huh?"
"Um..."
"This dragon isn't mine anymore..."
"I can't control it. It's actually Schierke's mount?"
Though a little embarrassed, Guts didn't hide the truth. He answered honestly that he wasn't the so-called dragon knight.
"It belongs to Big Sister Schierke?"
"!!"
"Really?!"
Elektra couldn't help being a little surprised.
After all, she had never